If you're interested in aviation history or aircraft in general, visit Oakland Aviation Museum often.

See Different Eras and Types of Aircraft Engines on Display

Herring-Curtiss Single-Stroke Aircraft Engine

A Treasure Worthy of the Smithsonian

1908 or 1909 Herring-Curtiss 4-stroke, 4-cylinder
water-cooled aircraft engine designed by aviation pioneer Glenn Curtiss.It has a Berling magneto and internal
Ford Model-T car parts, including the crankshaft.There’s a 1912 stamp in the front timing cover and “Herring-Curtiss”
stamped on the oil pan/crankshaft cover. Parts were probably switched from
other engines because there is evidence of damage, such as a thrown rod or a
broken crank.

This is one of the earliest aircraft engines ever made.It was used by Curtiss in his Golden
Flyer biplane, also known as the Curtiss No. 1 (the first aircraft both
designed and built by Curtiss). Curtiss flew the Golden Flyer to win the
Scientific American trophy in 1909.Later that year, the Golden Flyer crashed and was badly damaged.

The Museum’s engine arrived at OAM as a box of parts with
the comment “I think it may be an airplane engine.”The engine was restored and identified in 2010 by the
Aviation Club at Los Altos (Ca) High School, under the guidance of Greg Ely,
OAM Crew Chief and Museum Trustee.